Wednesday, August 31, 2011
When All Else Fails
When all else fails, do what feels good! Stay true to yourself and remember that this too shall pass! This post seems a bit cliche, but lately, the last 5 days to be exact, I've had more anxiety over things that are out of my control than I remember feeling in a very long time. So I'm reminding myself to take deep breaths, ride the ride, and do what feels good, which for me is RUNNING. Well, running and eating some dark chocolate, but not in that particular order. Exciting news can also be overwhelming, especially when there are unknowns involved. Sunday morning I woke up way too early for a Sunday, so I took that energy and went for a run. 3.2 miles made me clear my head and feel more relaxed about decisions that are being made right now. I also decided to take this anxious energy and sign up for a 10K in two weeks. TWO WEEKS!!! Considering the only running I've done all summer has been 1-2 miles a few times a week on the treadmill dreadmill, it's time to kick it in high gear and get outside for a few miles. But I've told myself that this 10K is just a nice, easy run. I'm not going for a PR, my only goal is to finish and feel good about doing the race. My last 10K was in April (Cooper River Bridge) and I ran that with a backpack on full of stuff, so I should be able to do atleast as well as I did then!
Saturday, August 27, 2011
Makes Me Say WOW!
In my last post I wrote about searching for answers. Over the past week some of those answers started to reveal themselves. Last weekend I had a much needed dinner date with my husband! While getting ready, I looked in my closet for something "new" and different to wear out. I came upon a pair of white capris I bought in 2008 but haven't had the courage to wear since the day after I got married. I thought, "I've been working out hard, let's just try these on and see." Any human woman will tell you that's not always the best idea before going on a date... whether it's with your hubby or not, it just isn't good if they don't fit! Well color me happy because I shimmied my hips into those white capris, buttoned, zipped and all!!! Thank you Stephanie Sawyer at Ciarla Fitness http://www.ciarlafitness.com/ for kicking my butt and making work outs so much fun!! Sign me up again! That was a nice start to the week and gave me the answer that although it takes quite a few hours of time each week, the drive to Ballantyne and back is well worth every mile and every penny spent!
Another WOW this week was an easy, yet elegant weeknight meal. Every week when I create my menus I try to do some meatless meals and disguise the veggies for my husband. I also try to cook recipes that are fairly quick and easy, that don't use a lot of fancy ingredients but the meal seems special. This week I tried a recipe for Spinach and Parmesan Souffles out of the June 2011 issue of Cooking Light magazine and they were a HIT!
Here's the recipe:
Cooking spray
1 1/2 TBSP dry breadcrumbs
6 oz. fresh baby spinach ( I substituted with about 1 1/2 cups frozen chopped b/c that's what I had)
2/3 cup fat-free milk
2 TBSP all purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese
2 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
Place a baking sheet in the over and Preheat to 425 degrees. Coat 4 (6 oz.) ramekins with cooking spray, sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs, coating sides evenly and completely. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Light coat pan with cooking spray. Add spinach, cook for 2 minutes or until leaves are wilted, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander, let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from spinach. Coarsely chop. Combine 2/3 cup milk and the next 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon mixture into a large bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, cheese and egg yolks. Combine egg whites adn cream of tartar in a large bowl and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Beat with a mixer on high speed until medium peaks form. Gently stir 1/4 of egg whites into spinach mixture, and gently fold in the reamining egg whites. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes on preheated baking sheet. Return to oven, then immediately lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake souffles at 350 for 21 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Serve immediately.
163 Calories, 6g Fat, 13.2g Protein, 14.6g Carb, 1.4g Fiber
I served these tasty little pillows of goodness with a mixed green salad. I plan to experiment some and try adding shallots next time, or carmelized onions. Souffles really are easy once you try them, so don't be intimidated by the fancy term Souffle. Go for it, the possibilities are endless!
Another WOW this week was an easy, yet elegant weeknight meal. Every week when I create my menus I try to do some meatless meals and disguise the veggies for my husband. I also try to cook recipes that are fairly quick and easy, that don't use a lot of fancy ingredients but the meal seems special. This week I tried a recipe for Spinach and Parmesan Souffles out of the June 2011 issue of Cooking Light magazine and they were a HIT!
Here's the recipe:
Cooking spray
1 1/2 TBSP dry breadcrumbs
6 oz. fresh baby spinach ( I substituted with about 1 1/2 cups frozen chopped b/c that's what I had)
2/3 cup fat-free milk
2 TBSP all purpose flour
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. ground nutmeg
1/8 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmigianno-Reggiano cheese
2 large egg yolks
4 large egg whites
1/4 tsp. cream of tartar
Place a baking sheet in the over and Preheat to 425 degrees. Coat 4 (6 oz.) ramekins with cooking spray, sprinkle evenly with breadcrumbs, coating sides evenly and completely. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Light coat pan with cooking spray. Add spinach, cook for 2 minutes or until leaves are wilted, tossing constantly. Place spinach in a colander, let stand 5 minutes. Squeeze excess liquid from spinach. Coarsely chop. Combine 2/3 cup milk and the next 4 ingredients in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Stirring with a whisk until smooth. Cook 2 minutes or until mixture is thick and bubbly, stirring constantly. Spoon mixture into a large bowl and let stand for 10 minutes. Stir in spinach, cheese and egg yolks. Combine egg whites adn cream of tartar in a large bowl and let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Beat with a mixer on high speed until medium peaks form. Gently stir 1/4 of egg whites into spinach mixture, and gently fold in the reamining egg whites. Gently spoon mixture into prepared dishes on preheated baking sheet. Return to oven, then immediately lower oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake souffles at 350 for 21 minutes or until puffy and golden brown. Serve immediately.
163 Calories, 6g Fat, 13.2g Protein, 14.6g Carb, 1.4g Fiber
I served these tasty little pillows of goodness with a mixed green salad. I plan to experiment some and try adding shallots next time, or carmelized onions. Souffles really are easy once you try them, so don't be intimidated by the fancy term Souffle. Go for it, the possibilities are endless!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Attitude is Everything
If you like to be in control like I do, you will understand this feeling I'm about to describe. Have you ever wanted something to be within your control, but it just isn't possible? Recently, I have been on a quest for answers, but it seems every corner I turn, there just aren't any answers. This is frustrating. Especially for me, someone who has been in control, and been incredibly fortunate all of my life. I feel like I position myself for good things, and I like to think that I'm deserving of good things. I am a believer that good things come, and that positive thoughts are necessary. I also think that I have learned from each one of my mistakes in life, and hope that I'm a smarter person for this. When you do all the right things, you say all the right things, are you not destined for goodness? I can only hope. There is so much I'm questioning right now, yet they are things out of my control, but I can feel them within my reach, so this waiting is killing me. One would think that because I'm such a planner, my life was all planned out... however that has never been the case. I like to plan events, and little things, but when it comes to my life.... I've only seized every opportunity that's come to me, that's how I've landed where I am in life... none of it was planned. So I guess I believe that the best laid plans are unexpected, but right now, I have some expectations and I just wish I knew what the plan was. Does that make any sense? This feeling is uncomfortable for me. I want to wake up in the morning and know what "the plan" is, but right now I just have to wake up every morning and see what happens. It's ALL out of my control right now, except for my attitude.
They say what happens to you is 10% and your attitude for dealing with it is 90%! I have many friends who live this so well, so I'm going to join them and keep my attitude positive! Because that IS in my control right now!
When I get answers, you'll hear about them!
They say what happens to you is 10% and your attitude for dealing with it is 90%! I have many friends who live this so well, so I'm going to join them and keep my attitude positive! Because that IS in my control right now!
When I get answers, you'll hear about them!
Tuesday, August 2, 2011
The End of a Season
As I write this post temperatures are slowly creeping up into the 90s, however my summer season is quickly coming to a close. It feels like it's been a whirlwind of a summer, and I haven't any idea how I ever thought I had so much free time and was yearning for some project to keep me busy, which is what I wrote about back in June. Here are some highlights from Summer 2011:
1. Molson: has brought much joy, lots of smiles and laughs, and is a constant creature of energy.
2. Cooking: didn't do any fancy cultural menus this year, however it was a pleasure to savor the tastes of homegrown tomatoes, basil, and fresh South Carolina peaches! I tried my hand at baking a bit more than usual and found out I make a pretty tasty peach crisp, and delicious cupcakes. Homegrown tomatoes and basil also kept the salsa and bruschetta flowing, which are two of my favorite snacks!
3. Spending time with family and friends: we've had more than the usual amount of houseguests this summer, which kept my cleaning and tidying up at an all time high, however it was all worth it to get to spend time with them! We await one more short visit from Bop and Kevin's brother Phil in about a week, and then things will quiet down around here. Even with all the hectic scheduling around here this summer, I managed to enjoy a few nights out with friends for drinks and chatting, as well as some lunch dates with friends I only see a few times a year!
4. Exercise: Once the temperatures started to rise, it's been a little tougher to just get out and run, but my twice a week training sessions with Stephanie at Ciarla Fitness http://www.ciarlafitness.com/ have kept me building strength and toning up, as well as helping me stay on track for staying fit. I'm sure the exercise has also been what's helped me keep my energy up to par with Molson's.
Even though I thought back in June that I was sitting idle, my summer has been a busy and memorable one sans any special project! I look forward to cooler temperatures and new opportunities around the corner with Fall.
1. Molson: has brought much joy, lots of smiles and laughs, and is a constant creature of energy.
2. Cooking: didn't do any fancy cultural menus this year, however it was a pleasure to savor the tastes of homegrown tomatoes, basil, and fresh South Carolina peaches! I tried my hand at baking a bit more than usual and found out I make a pretty tasty peach crisp, and delicious cupcakes. Homegrown tomatoes and basil also kept the salsa and bruschetta flowing, which are two of my favorite snacks!
3. Spending time with family and friends: we've had more than the usual amount of houseguests this summer, which kept my cleaning and tidying up at an all time high, however it was all worth it to get to spend time with them! We await one more short visit from Bop and Kevin's brother Phil in about a week, and then things will quiet down around here. Even with all the hectic scheduling around here this summer, I managed to enjoy a few nights out with friends for drinks and chatting, as well as some lunch dates with friends I only see a few times a year!
4. Exercise: Once the temperatures started to rise, it's been a little tougher to just get out and run, but my twice a week training sessions with Stephanie at Ciarla Fitness http://www.ciarlafitness.com/ have kept me building strength and toning up, as well as helping me stay on track for staying fit. I'm sure the exercise has also been what's helped me keep my energy up to par with Molson's.
Even though I thought back in June that I was sitting idle, my summer has been a busy and memorable one sans any special project! I look forward to cooler temperatures and new opportunities around the corner with Fall.
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